The next morning, Harry had calculated the costs of food with the remaining paycheck left in Milo’s account.

‘So how much is our budget for the week?’ Milo asked.

‘Um, after using your remaining $306 Boti balance, we only have $14.50 Boti available for both of us for three meals per day and for seven days. That is excluding everything else.’ Harry replied.

‘Woah how are we gonna survive with only $14.50 Boti available for food? Most of the cafeteria’s that we have been to cost way more than this!’ Milo blurted.

‘I know, but that’s all we have right now. It’s just for the first week. I think we can make it work.’ Harry replied.

‘I highly doubt that! What about where are you gonna live? Any rent payments?’ Milo questioned.

‘Right, I haven’t thought about that yet. I think we should explain the current situation to Yoki first to see if he can make some arrangements for us.’ Harry suggested.

‘Yeah, we need to.’ Milo replied.

‘Alright, I’ll call him now.’ Harry commented.

‘Hi Yoki, we wanted to ask you a few questions about our residential arrangements. Is that a good time now for you?’ Harry asked.

‘Sure, please go ahead.’ Yoki replied.

‘So I was wondering after Milo had received his salary, do we need to pay for living in this hotel or what will happen from now on?’ Harry asked.

‘Right, you can still stay at building 101 if you would like to, but usually once you have a source of income, you would move to another area in the residential department where it’s for residents only and not visitors.’ Yoki clarified.

‘Okay, so may I ask how much is it to stay here?’ Harry asked.

‘I currently don’t have the numbers for that, I think Rishez would be the one you should speak to.’ Yoki replied.

‘I see, thank you. I’ll go asked Rishez first. Would you mind holding on to the call?’ Harry requested.

‘Sure.’ Yoki replied.

Harry and Milo took the lift down to ground level where they approached Rishez at the front desk.

‘Good morning Rishez, can we discuss something regarding accommodation costs with you.’ Harry asked.

‘Sure.’ Rishez replied.

‘So how much is it for the two of us to stay in our current room?’ Harry inquired.

‘Well let me just check… So the usual cost per week is $210 Boti for the room. Is that what you both would like?’ Rishez asked.

‘Uh, kind of. Since Milo got a job, we do need to make payments ourselves. Can we discuss this for a sec first?’ Harry explained.

‘Sure.’ Rishez replied.

‘Yoki, are you still there?’ Harry asked.

‘Yes, so what did Rishez say?’ Yoki asked back.

‘Rishez stated that the weekly cost is $210 Boti. However the problem is that our budget is very tight right now. Since we only have around $300 Boti left to spend for a whole week and that comes down to only $14.50 Boti left to spend on each meal for the both of us.’ Harry explained.

‘I see, however that was the contract you both have signed before. I can help you negotiate for a lower cost but unfortunately we cannot do free accommodation anymore.’ Yoki responded.

‘Right I understand, so do you know what's the average price to rent a place for the both of us at the other residential area as you stated before?’ Harry asked.

‘It really depends on how large the place is and many other factors. If you both are looking for the cheapest option, then it's between $150 to $250 Boti.’ Yoki replied.

‘Right, and is there any room to negotiate further for that?’ Harry inquired.

‘That’s the lowest it states right now, however I can come and help you both to see if we can cut it down a little more.’ Yoki responded.

‘I see, thanks for that. I might just ask Rishez first to see if we can get a lower price. If not, then we can think about other options.’ Harry suggested.

‘Sounds good.’ Yoki replied.

‘So Rishez, I was wondering, is there any room for negotiation for the weekly accommodation cost?’ Harry questioned.

‘Unfortunately our rates are set and that’s the lowest we can offer you both.’ Rishez replied.

‘Alright, I understand, thank you.’ Harry replied.

‘So would you guys want to start now?’ Rishez asked.

‘Um, can you have some time to discuss and think about this first?’ Harry asked.

‘Sure, just let me know once you guys have made a decision and I will help you to get started.’ Rishez replied.

‘We will, thanks!’ Harry commented.

‘Yoki, so can you take us to the other residential area for residents only?’ Harry asked.

‘Sure, I’ll come to see you both now. Approximately fifteen minutes from now.’ Yoki replied.

‘Thanks, we will wait for you in the lobby room.’ Harry responded as he ended the call.

‘So what should we do now?’ Milo asked.

‘We need to wait for Yoki in the lobby right now and we will be heading to another residential area to stay for a lower cost since they can’t offer us it here.’ Harry explained.

‘Well, how much do you think we can pull out from our budget for rent?’ Milo asked.

‘I reckon $100 Boti max, which leaves us with a $9.80 Boti budget for each meal.’ Harry replied.

‘How is that gonna be enough for the both of us?’ Milo questioned as he shaked his head from left to right.

‘Well, your lunch is covered by FAC right?’ Harry asked.

‘Yeah, and?’ Milo continued.

‘So I reckon we just need to be a little tight and either eat some fast food or only eat two meals a day just to get by until I get the job, we will have much more flexibility.’ Harry suggested.

‘That is not gonna be healthy for us, but I guess this is the only way as of now.’ Milo replied.

Meanwhile, Yoki had just arrived to see them.

‘Harry, Milo, are you both ready to come with me?’ Yoki asked.

‘Yes, we’re ready.’ Harry replied.

‘Please follow me then.’ Yoki replied.

‘Sure, so where is the other residential area that we will be going to?’ Milo asked.

‘It’s not too far from here, just a ten minute walk and we should be there.’ Yoki replied.

Yoki indeed was right, they had arrived in just a couple of minutes.

‘So here we are at Apartment C. I just wanted to ask how much are you both willing to spend on rent on a weekly basis?’ Yoki questioned.

‘Uh we have thought about it and the maximum we can do is $100 Boti each week. Will that be a possible option?’ Harry replied.

‘Alright, let me just explain your circumstances to the residential assistant here and see if that is possible. Is that okay?’ Yoki asked.

‘Sure, that’s good thanks!’ Harry replied.

‘So what do you think about this place?’ Milo asked.

‘I think it’s definitely a different view from the hotel. I’m guessing we will be staying in an apartment from the view here.’ Harry responded.

‘Well let’s just hope we can negotiate a lower cost first.’ Milo added.

‘Yeah, same.’ Harry agreed as he saw Yoki coming back to them.

‘So I have briefly explained your situation to the assistant and he is willing to give a twenty percent discount, so that would be $120 Boti a week for the both of you. Would that be alright?’ Yoki asked.

‘Uhh, I think that is fine. Is it the lowest they can offer?’ Harry asked.

‘Yes, it is. Usually the price is at least $150 Boti and above.’ Milo replied.

‘Right I see, well can we see the room first before making the final decision?’ Harry requested.

‘Sure, I’ll ask the assistant to give you guys a tour of the unit.’ Yoki replied.

‘Thanks.’ Harry commented.

‘Hello guys, please follow me to your unit.’ Zoshi commanded.

‘Sure.’ Harry replied.

They all took the lift to level eight. As they exited the lift, Zoshi turned to the left and pulled out a digital key and scanned it on the lock of door 802. It opened instantly. The unit was much smaller than Harry thought it would be. There were two miniature beds and one bathroom. There was barely a living room and a mini kitchen. Everything does look brand new and extremely high tech though. Harry could not see a speck of dust on anything.

‘So what do you both think?’ Zoshi asked.

‘Well, everything looks very clean although it is quite small. May I ask how large is this unit?’ Harry questioned.

‘The unit has a total of thirty-six square metres.’ Zoshi replied.

‘I see thanks.’ Harry replied.

‘Only thirty-six? No wonder the beds are like the hotel we lived in previously. It’s not even in a room of its own.’ Milo blurted in English.

‘Milo, come down… It’s what we can get for the price we can afford right now.’ Harry whispered to Milo’s ear.

‘I know, but do you think it's worth it?’ Milo questioned.

‘It’s the best we can get for now.’ Harry replied.

‘Well I guess we can take it.’ Milo sighed.

‘Alright Zoshi, we have decided to rent this unit.’ Harry stated.

‘Awesome, I will get you both started with the paperwork.’ Zoshi replied.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

‘So we will need to sign a rental agreement right?’ Harry asked.

‘That is correct. I do have a digital version of the paperwork right here. When you are ready, could you both read through the agreement thoroughly and we will get the process started.’ Zoshi explained.

‘Sure.’ Harry replied.

As Harry first took a look through the agreement, he thought it was reasonable considering the price and all the other provisions. Milo then read through everything twice and thought it was fine as well. Personally, he still felt that the area was too small but he knew that there wasn’t much of a choice.

‘We have finished reading and are satisfied with the agreement.’ Harry commented.

‘Do you both have any further questions before signing this agreement?’ Zoshi asked.

‘Not from me, Milo?’ Harry asked.

‘Uh, is the agreement on a yearly timeframe or…?’ Milo questioned.

‘There isn’t any set timeframe on how long you both must live here, however rent is definitely paid on a weekly basis.’ Zoshi replied.

‘Okay, thanks. I guess we can sign now?’ Milo asked.

‘Whenever you are ready.’ Zoshi replied.

Milo signed the agreement first followed by Harry. They knew this unit was liveable but thought of this as a temporary situation.

‘All done!’ Harry commented as he passed the agreement back to Zoshi.

‘Thank you. I will process this and you guys can move in starting from tomorrow!’ Zoshi stated.

‘That’s great, thank you!’ Harry replied.

‘Thanks, looking forward to moving here!’ Milo replied.

They left Apartment C and returned back to building 101 and are prepared to pack their belongings for the rest of the afternoon.

‘I don’t know why that place looks smaller than this hotel room despite it having a larger area.’ Milo wondered.

‘I reckon it’s due to the fact that we only have two beds and a bathroom, whereas the new place has a kitchen and a living room as well. So there’s more items in a similar area, that might be why it looks smaller.’ Harry explained.

‘You’re right, but I think everything there is so tight and miniature compared to the average unit.’ Milo replied.

‘Well we better get packaging and move in tomorrow evening since it’s a Sunday and you will have work again tomorrow and I’ll have the SD driving lessons as well.’ Harry stated.

‘Sure, I’ll get my bags sorted right now.’ Milo replied.

‘Yeah, same.’ Harry added.

The next morning, their bags were already packed. Milo was in a hurry to get to FAC on time. After he arrived, he got straight to work and carried on with his usual day. A few hours later, Harry got ready to head back to SDDC for his final week of driving lessons. As they carried on their day, everything went smooth as usual and they both returned back to building 101 later that afternoon.

‘Harry, should we move right now?’ Milo asked.

‘Yeah, it’s currently five thirty-six P.M., I think we should move now before the sun goes down.’ Harry suggested.

‘So should we inform Rishez that we are moving out of this hotel now?’ Milo questioned.

‘I reckon that we should move our belongings to Apartment C first and make sure we can move in today. After everything is settled, we can come back here and let Rishez know.’ Harry replied.

‘Sounds good, let's get going then!’ Milo exclaimed.

As they carried their luggages to Apartment C, Zoshi was already waiting for them at the front desk.

‘Hello again Zoshi, we are here to move into our unit 802.’ Harry stated.

‘Ah yes, I will hand you both the digital key for the unit and you guys are free to move in anytime.’ Zoshi replied.

‘Thank you very much, we will head upstairs now.’ Harry commented.

‘Glad to help! If you guys have any questions in the future, please come back to see me.’ Zoshi added.

‘We will, thanks again.’ Milo replied.

They entered the lift and took it straight to level eight. After staying for half an hour to unload their bags, Harry and Milo headed back to building 101. As they entered the building, Rishez was still working.

‘Rishez! I thought you would have finished work by now.’ Harry commented.

‘Ah not yet! I have a longer shift today. What can I do for you guys?’ Rishez asked.

‘Well we had just moved to a new place, and we are here to let you know that we won’t be staying at this hotel anymore. We really are thankful for everything you have done for us!’ Harry commented.

‘Yeah, we appreciate everything you have done so far and wish you all the best!’ Milo exclaimed.

‘Wow congrats on moving into your new home! Wish you guys the best as well.’ Rishez replied.

‘Thanks, we hope to see you in the future as well. Enjoy the rest of the evening!’ Harry commented as they left building 101.

‘So I guess that’s it! We have officially moved!’ Milo exclaimed.

‘Yep, are you excited or nervous?’ Harry asked.

‘Both actually. I’m excited to live in a new place but worried that we won’t keep up with our spendings.’ Milo explained.

‘I agree, it’s a double-edged sword. But if we can stay tight to our initial budget, I know we can get through this.’ Harry replied.

‘Yeah you’re right. So what should we eat for dinner?’ Milo asked.

‘Not sure yet. I think there should be a cafeteria or restaurants nearby Apartment C. We can take a better look once we get there.’ Harry suggested.

‘Sure, so what’s our budget for tonight?’ Milo questioned.

‘Uh, let me see. After deducting our rent, we have approximately $8.85 Boti left for the both of us to have for each meal, taking into consideration three meals a day.’ Harry explained.

‘Great, let’s see what we can get for that amount. I doubt if I can even get a bag of fries for that back on Earth!’ Milo replied.

‘Stay positive Milo, we will get something.’ Harry reassured.

‘I hope so.’ Milo added.

As they walked nearby, Harry spotted a small restaurant beside Apartment C. They decided to enter to see what the restaurants could offer.

‘Hi, how can I help?’ Xeni, the cashier asked?

‘Hey, we would like to see what the menu is?’ Harry asked.

‘Well we are a fast food restaurant, so you can take a look at our menu just above me on the big screen or there’s a smaller version just to your left as well.’ Xeni replied.

‘I see, so what would you recommend?’ Harry asked.

‘Uh, it really depends on what you are looking for. One of our most popular dishes is the Sipa Zoqi.’ Xeni replied.

‘Cool, well we are new to this place. I think let’s take two orders for Siqi Zoqi please.’ Harry requested.

‘Alright, that comes down to $9.50 Boti.’ Xeni replied.

‘Harry, are you sure we can spend over our budget?’ Milo asked.

‘It’s not even a Boti over, Milo. Relax, we can always cut it down next time.’ Harry replied.

‘Sure, may we use card?’ Harry asked.

‘Yes, just scan it there and it should process.’ Xeni responded.

‘Okay, thanks… All done.’ Milo commented.

‘Thank you. Your order will be done in a few minutes. Please take a seat at any table.’ Xeni replied.

‘Thanks.’ Harry added.

As they just found a table to sit at, their order has already been packed.

‘Order 709, 709?’ Xeni called.

‘Uh coming.’ Harry replied as he walked to get their order.

‘So what did you order, Harry?’ Milo asked.

‘Let’s open and see.’ Harry replied.

As they both opened the dish, it looked like a hamburger that is made of green jelly. It

appears to be translucent and doesn't have any other textures. Harry took a bite into it and the taste did actually mimic a beef burger back on Earth. As Milo took a bite, he thought of the exact same thing as Harry did.

‘Wow, this is actually delicious! At first I didn't know how it would taste but it’s so similar to beef burgers we have back on Earth.’ Milo exclaimed.

‘Same, well that just goes to prove that we still can get good food on a small budget.’ Harry replied.

‘Yeah, but we still need to consume this with moderation. It’s not the best for our health.’ Milo added.

‘I know Milo, we will make sure to eat healthy foods as well.’ Harry replied.

‘Well since we have finished, we can head back to our new unit to get some rest for tomorrow.’ Milo suggested.

‘Sure, let’s get going then.’ Harry replied.

After they got home, they opened their luggages and got ready to head off to bed. The next morning, it’s a typical day for both Harry and Milo. For the next few days, until Friday where Milo had received his second paycheck and Harry had just finished all the driving lessons and had just reached fifty hours of supervised driving. He was ready to take his driving test.

‘Alright Harry, are you ready for the SD driving test?’ Mr. Zoba asked.

‘Yes, I think so. So how long will the test last?’ Harry questioned.

‘It will take approximately thirty minutes to complete the test. When would you like to sit the final test?’ Mr. Zoba asked.

‘I think I can do it now if it's available?’ Harry questioned.

‘Uh, just let me check if we have any examiners available right now.’ Mr. Zoba replied.

‘Sure.’ Harry responded.

‘So there is an examiner that is currently available to conduct the driving test at three-thirty P.M., that's around fifteen minutes from now. Should I book that for you?’ Mr. Zoba inquired.

‘Yes please, that should be perfect timing, thanks!’ Harry replied.

After waiting patiently for fifteen minutes, Harry had just started the test.

‘Good afternoon Harry, I’m Mr. Senzi and I will be conducting this driving test.’ Mr. Senzi commented as they entered the space drone.

‘Thanks Mr. Senzi, nice to meet you.’ Harry replied.

‘So we will get started with driving around this area first.’ Mr. Senzi requested.

‘Sure.’ Harry commented as he started the control and drove the space drone into the air.

‘Can you please do a loop here?’ Mr. Senzi asked.

‘Alright.’ Harry replied as he drove in a round loop.

‘Good job, so we will travel for a short period around the community area. You just need to follow the traffic lights and we can assess how you interact with other space drones.’ Mr. Senzi requested.

‘Sure, I’ll give that a shot. Just let me know when you would like me to stop.’ Harry replied as he started to drive for the next fifteen minutes.

‘Right, you can stop now. Now, can you please land this space drone in a designated parking area.’ Mr. Senzi requested.

‘Sure, landing right now.’ Harry replied as he slowly lowered the space drone and landed the vehicle safely.

‘Great, well this has come to the end of the driving test. You may exit the vehicle now.’ Mr. Senzi commanded.

‘Thank you for conducting this test. May I ask when the results will come out?’ Harry questioned.

‘Yes sure, so I will just need some time to assess your driving and I will get back to you within half an hour.’ Mr. Senzi replied.

‘Woah, that's pretty fast. Well I will be waiting for you in the lobby of SDDC.’ Harry informed as he left the space drone.

In less than thirty minutes, Mr. Senzi had returned and was just about to approach Harry.

‘Harry, I have just confirmed your results for the driving test you previously undertook. I am pleased to say that you have passed! Congratulations, you may have some time to celebrate!’ Mr. Senzi stated.

‘Actually? Are you for real??’ Harry gasped in shock.

‘Yes, here is a report of your performance during the test. You can take a look yourself.’ Mr. Senzi replied.

‘Wow! I didn’t think I’d pass based on what I just did, but that was a big relief. Thank you so much!’ Harry commented.

‘Well, you may come with me to receive your SD drivers licence.’ Mr. Senzi stated.

‘Thanks I will.’ Harry replied as he followed Mr. Senzi to the front desk.

‘Here you go. You are now a verified Space drone driver!’ Mr. Senzi commented.

‘Thank you very much for that. Have a great day ahead.’ Harry replied.

As Harry left SDDC with his official drivers licence, he was ecstatic to let Milo know. However, it was still four forty-five P.M., and he knew that Milo was still working. He walked back to Apartment C first and thought Milo could call him when he had finished work. After just ten minutes, Harry indeed received a call from Milo.

‘Hey Milo, how are you going?’ Harry asked as he picked up the phone.

‘Harry, I’ve just finished work and are on the way home. What about you?’ Milo asked.

‘I Had just arrived back at our new unit. I do have some great news.’ Harry replied.

‘Really? Did you get your driver's licence?’ Milo blurted.

‘How did you know? Yes I did, which means I can officially drive a space drone on my own!’ Harry replied.

‘Lucky guess I guess! Congrats bro, so what are you gonna do now?’ Milo questioned.

‘Well, I’m thinking of contacting Mr. Quinz again to see if he still has that position opened for me, remember.’ Harry stated.

‘Oh yeah, I’ve been so busy lately with work that I totally forgot about that! Good luck then, I’ll talk to you soon.’ Milo replied as he ended the call.

Harry decided to give Mr. Quinz a call first.

‘Hello, Mr. Quinz speaking. Who are you?’ Mr. Quinz asked.

‘Hi Mr. Quinz! I’m Harry Quinto, I had an interview for a delivering position around two weeks ago with you.’ Harry reminded.

‘Harry Quinto… let me just check… oh yes, I remember. Apologies I just had a lot of interviews in the past few days. Great to hear from you again.’ Mr. Quinz replied.

‘Ah no worries! I just wanted to let you know that I had just received my SD drivers licence earlier today and was wondering if the delivery driver position is still available since you said that you have put it on hold until I have gotten the licence?’ Harry inquired.

‘Just give me a second, I will check that for you.’ Mr. Quinz replied.

‘Sure, please take your time.’ Harry added.

‘Okay, it looks like the position is still open and after reviewing your interview and resume, we have decided that you are the most suitable fit for this position out of all the candidates we have interviewed. So when would you like to start?’ Mr. Quinz questioned.

‘Really?? Thank you for still holding my position for so long, I really appreciate it. I can begin anytime you like.’ Harry replied in excitement.

‘Well, glad to hear that! Would you be able to start officially next Monday?’ Mr. Quinz asked.

‘Yes sure, thank you again! Will see you next Monday. May I have the address of this company so I’ll know where to go?’ Harry replied.

‘Sure, I’ll text it through to you. Enjoy the rest of your day.’ Mr. Quinz responded.

‘You too! Bye!’ Harry replied as he ended the call.

Just as Harry hung up, Milo had returned back.

‘Milo, I just got off the phone with Mr. Quinz and he offered me the role!’ Harry exclaimed.

‘Wow really? I thought he would have forgotten you by now, but I guess not. Double congrats to you Harry!’ Milo replied.

‘Haha Milo, he was a little confused on who was calling at first but still recognised me after he checked.’ Harry explained.

‘So when will you start work then?’ Milo asked.

‘Uh next Monday, we will have the weekends off to relax a little before starting work next week!’ Harry commented.

‘I guess so! I just received my paycheck for the week as well. I reckon we can make the deposit tomorrow since I’m too tired to walk anymore.’ Milo suggested.

‘Well you can get some rest first and we can head off to dinner later.’ Harry replied.

‘Sounds good, thanks bro.’ Milo replied.